One of the most important things we can do as leaders is intentionally invest in our team’s growth. That’s the focus of today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast. So, whether you oversee a full-time staff, or you lead a team of volunteers, I’ll share four practical ways to invest in your team that will make a real difference. 

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SHOW NOTES:

Leaders don’t just lead projects, they lead people. They recruit and empower people to help the organization achieve its desired outcomes. But building a high performing team doesn’t end with recruiting people and then handing off a job responsibility to them. You also have to invest in your team’s growth. Using the word TEAM as an acronym, here are four ways to do just that. 

TRAINING: INVEST THROUGH KNOWLEDGE 

Team members need the “know how” to accelerate in their areas of responsibility. Consider training in two formats:

Onboarding – Every person on your team should receive training as you onboard them onto the team and into the organization. That onboarding process should include important topics such as vision, values, history, ministry model, governance, goal setting, staff communication, how you make decisions, and other common questions team members’ have. Your goal in onboarding is to set your new team up for success. Ongoing – Create a systematic way to provide ongoing training to your team. This might happen through conferences and workshops, but you can also make it a part of your regularly scheduled staff meetings. 

EQUIPPING: INVEST THROUGH RESOURCES 

One of the benefits we have at this moment in history is the vast number of resources available to help us equip our teams. Think of resources to equip your team in two ways:

Job Resources – When it comes to job resources, ask yourself, “What does my team need to do their job in the most effective and efficient manner?” Job resources might include a computer, software, subscriptions to various programs or services, or resources specific to their role. Growth Resources – Growth resources can be books, courses, podcasts, blogs, Youtube videos, Ted Talks, audible books…the list can almost be endless. When you consider that the average commute to work is 46 minutes per day roundtrip, your teams could easily turn their drive time into growth time if they have access to the right resources. 

APPLICATION: INVEST THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES 

Investing in your team goes beyond simply pumping more information into their heads. True leadership isn’t learned in a classroom; it’s learned in the trenches. That’s why it’s important to focus on application. Application is where you invest in your team through opportunities. There are four levels of opportunity that will help your team grow: 

Level #1: Personal Accountability Level #2: Stretch Assignments Level #3: Expanded Responsibility Level #4: Supervisor Role 

These four levels of opportunity help your team apply what they have been learning. In fact, this process is how you grow leaders and help your team put what they are learning into practice in the everyday trenches of leadership. 

MENTORING: INVEST THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS 

The Gallup organization discovered that 65% of people that leave a company are actually leaving their managers. However,